When fans of Bella Thorne swiped open the actress’s Snapchat story last night, they were treated to a rare sight: That of Thorne getting her eyebrows tattooed with a microblade. Documenting the entire process in a series of Snaps—from the numbing gel application to the dark-inked incisions—the 18-year-old emerged with a full set of natural-looking arches that appeared like a subtle brush of well-applied pencil, raising all sorts of questions about the offbeat procedure.

Performed for Thorne by Júlia Faria Elmassian at a Los Angeles–area studio, microblading has experienced a bit of an upswing as of late. Said to have been popularized in Asia, where it’s also known as 3-D eyebrow embroidery, it’s a modern, semipermanent take on the brow tattoo in which a specialist takes a tiny angled blade and meticulously presses the pigment into the skin with small strokes. According to New York dermatologist Dendy Engelman, there's little risk involved—as long as all the devices and facilities are sterilized and clean, and a licensed professional is at hand, the chance of infection is no greater than an ordinary tattoo.

“Instead of a needle, it’s a blade, which allows for a more confluent line—it takes the human error out of the dot technique,” Engelman explains. Thanks to that artistic, hand-drawn nature, the new brow tattoo is unexpectedly natural—a far cry from the old-fashioned versions. “I’ve seen patients [looking] horrifically in the past, where the ink oxidizes to green or blue,” she says. “These new techniques are much better, and the results can be really beautiful.” What’s more, because the ink is inserted at such a superficial depth—“not even into the dermis,” Engelman says—there won’t be much bleeding and there’s small risk of scarring, except in the case of those with keloiding, who should avoid microblading entirely.

The procedure takes around two hours and involves little to no recovery time, and the results are said to last around one to two years. That last bit, of course, is its own double-edged sword. Who hasn’t had a bad wax job or tweezer session that left you with terrible, crooked arches—at which point a few weeks or months of return-to-normal waiting time feels like forever? If you choose to risk it, as when choosing the best threader or waxer, seek out someone with a good eye, a steady hand, and a solid portfolio—then make sure you’re ready to make a full-browed commitment.